Hydrattlically-opekated tank valve



A. DAVIS, JR

M 2, 1933. HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED TANK VALVE Re, 18,817

Original Filed Jan. 3, 1929 [N VENTOR A 'TTORNE Y Reissued May 2, 1933AUGUSTINE DAVIS, JR.,

PATENT OFFICE I OF CINCINNATI, OHIO HYDRAULIC'ALLY-OPERATED TANK VALVEOriginal No. 1,781,369, dated November 11, 1930, Serial No. 330,125,filed. January 3, 1929. Application for reissue filed April 27,

The invention relates to tank outlet valves in which a normally-closedvalve member is opened by means of a hydraulic device or servo-motor. Adrawback of such devices is the fact that quantity of air is likely tobe trapped in the top of the device, which reduces the efiiciency andpromptness of the operation since the air is compressible. It is thecustom of the company manufacturm ing the device to manipulate itcarefully by turning it over and repeatedly injecting the operatingliquid until the air is all driven out, after which the device is sealedand sent to the customer full of liquid. The user is then presented witha difiiculty in connecting the device with the pipe line and controlapparatus without letting any of the liquid escape, while keeping thepipe line and its connected apparatus full, so that air shall not bepresent therein.

These difiiculties are overcome in the present invention by theprovision of means for conducting air from the top of theliquidreceiving space of the device, so that the air may be expelled byliquid admitted after the device has been connected up for use, afterwhich the exit of the vent is closed. With this provision it isunnecessary for the manu- H facturer of the device to fill and seal it,and

0' the device can be connected to a pipe line while both are empty.

The particular object of the invention is to provide means forevacuating air from the servo-motor of a tank valve externally of thetank, said means aflording an indication when all air has been expelledfrom the device and the latter filled with operating liquid, the ventbeing then closed by means applied or operated outside of the tank. Afurther object is to apply the vent in such manner that the entiredevice is readily removable from and applicable to the tank outlet or toan external outlet body.

v In the accompanying drawing forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a tank valve embodying theinvention; and

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view, partly broken out and in section, showingthe exit of the vent tube closed.

1932. Serial No. 607,847.

The numeral 2 designates an external outlet and valve body having avalve seat 3 in its upper portion. A valve member A having a dependingstem 5 is seated by a spring 6. The valve body is secured in the bottomoutlet of a tank, a portion 20 of which is shown.

In the specific, preferred form of the invention illustrated, theservo-motor for lifting the valve member is a metal bellows devicelocated in the lower part of the valve body on a removable base-plate 7,forming the bottom wall of the body. A cylinder 8 is fixed at its lowerend to this base-plate, and to its upper end is tightly connected theupper end of a tubular metal bellows 9. The lower end of this bellows istightly secured to a movable head 10, having a socket portion 11 whichis guided on a post 12 rislng from the base plate. A rod 13 secured tothe socket portion 11 extends upward to act upon the valve stem 5. v v

The base-plate? has a screw-threaded opening 14, to which isconnectedthe pipe 15 for admitting liquid pressure medium to the space 16 betweenthe bellows and the cylinder and beneath the removable head. In theordinary operation of the apparatus the liquid, which fills the entirehydraulic valve operating system, is displaced in and out through thisopening and pipe, when the control means (not shown) connected with thepipe is operated to apply and release the pressure.

The base-plate is provided with another screw-threaded opening 17, andfrom this opening a vent tube 18 extends upward practically to the topof the space 16, where its upper or inlet end is open.

After the device has been installed and connected up, operating liquidis introduced through the line 15 until all the air inside the devicehas been displaced by liquid. When liquid flows out of the exit 17 ofthevent, it will be evident that the device is substantially full ofliquid. The opening 17 is then closed permanently, or semi-permanent-1y, by a plug 19. Similarly, air can be dis charged from the operatingchamber of the servo-motor, or from connected parts of the hydraulicsystem through this chamber, at

any time after the apparatus has been put in use, if air should enterthe system.

The invention makes it possible to bleed the actuating bellows of thebottom outlet valve of a tank externally of the tank or chamber. Sincethe vent 18, as well as the operating, line 15, is connected. with thedetachable bottom plate 7, the entire operating device can be removedfrom and applied to the external outlet body 2 by simply attaching anddetaching this plate.

Itwill be understood that the invention is not limited to thepreciseform illustrated.

I claim:

1. A hydraulically operated tank valve to be controlled from a remotepoint having a body adapted. to be applied to the tank outlet and-carrying a normally-closed outlet valve member and a hydraulicservo-motor associated with the valve member to lift the same, said bodyhaving, in addition to an opening for connecting the servo-motor with ea remote source. of hydraulic operating pressure, an air-vent duct incommunication with 2 5: the upper portion. of the liquid-receivingchamber of the servo motor, the outlet of said air-vent V duct beingoutside the tank, and there being means for closing-said duct after theair has beenexpelled from said chamber by the operating liquid.

2. A hydraulically operated tank valve to be controlled from a remotepoint having a body adapted to be applied to the tank outlet andcarrying a normally-closed outlet valve '1 member and a hydraulicservo-motor associated with the valve member to lift the same, said bodyhaving, in addition to an opening for connecting the servo-motor witharemote source of hydraulic operating pressure,

an opening to the outside of the tank for be controlled from a remotepoint having an venting air from the liquid-receiving chamber of theservo-motor, means for cl'osing'this opening, and an air-vent tubeextending from this opening upwardinto said chamber of the servo-motor.

3'. A'hydraulically operated tank valve to be controlled'from a remotepoint having a body applied from beneath to the outlet of mote source ofhydraulic operating pressure,

and the other opening being an external vent provided with a closure,and means forming a vent passage extending upward from the vent openingto the upper portion of said chamber.

4. A hydraulically operated tank valve to external body applied to thetank outlet, said body carrying a normally-closed outlet valve memberand a servo-motor beneath said valve member for lifting the same, thebottom of said body being removable and supporting said servo-motor andhaving, in addition to an opening for connection with a remote source ofhydraulic operating pressure, a vent opening provided wit-h a closure,and means forming a passage for evacuating air from the upper portion ofthe liquid-receiving chamber of the servo-motor through said ventopening. 5. A hydraulically operated tank valve comprising thecombination of an external body applied to an outlet from the tank, aspring-seated valve member normally closing the entrance to said body, adetachable plate closingthe bottom of said body, a casing carried bysaid plate inside the body, a tubular metal bellows inside said casingand secured thereto at the upper end, a head se-- cured to the lower endof said bellows, a thrust member connected with said head for unseatingsaid valvemember, said plate having two openings through it, anoperating line connected to one of said openings, a closure for theother of said openings, and avent tube extending upward from the latteropening to the top of the space between said bellows and said casing.

AUGUSTINE DAVIS, JR.

